


A Room for Two

by rudbeckia



Series: Henrupe ficlets [4]
Category: Silence (2016), The Revenant (2016)
Genre: Adam Driver/Domhnall Gleason Character Combinations, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, First Meetings, Fluff, Kylux Adjacent Month 2020, Kylux adjacents - Fandom - Freeform, M/M, Soulmates, kylux adjacent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23925400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: Andrew has just finished unpacking his belongings in his half of a shared room when a tall stranger arrives. Andrew knows he should resent having to share, but there’s something about this man that just feelsright.Some modern AU Henrupe for Day 25: Reincarnation.
Relationships: Francisco Garupe/Andrew Henry
Series: Henrupe ficlets [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1689181
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17
Collections: Into the Adjacentverse: Kylux Adjacents Month 2020





	A Room for Two

“Hi.” A tall, angular man, maybe even as tall as Andy himself, hunched in the doorway and offered a handshake, but seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand. “The duty warden told me this is my room.”

The statement had a lilt to the end that turned it into a hopeful question. Andy suppressed a sigh. He’d known he’d have to share—his accommodation budget wouldn’t cover the extravagance of a single room—but it still rankled a little. At least this man seemed polite and softly spoken. He had a serious, kind face with features just a little too big, as if he hadn’t quite grown into them yet. It wasn’t a sudden realisation or a conscious thought, but a reassuring feeling of calm settled his nerves. The longer Andy looked, the more sure he was that they would be friends.

“Then it is your room,” Andy said brightly. “I’m expecting a roommate. Come in. I already chose the bed on the left, but you can have it if you want.”

The man came in, put his bags on the other bed and stretched. His fingertips almost touched the ceiling and a pale sliver of skin showed where his shirt slipped out from the waistband of his jeans. He looked around at the rest of the symmetrical room, which was small but thoughtfully furnished, then unpacked a few books and spread them on the empty desk on the right. Andy looked over at the covers.

“Latin, Hebrew and Ancient Greek?” Andy said. “Are you studying languages?”  
“No,” the man said. “There’s no point reading other peoples translations of sacred texts and learning their mistakes. I need to make my own.”  
“Translations or mistakes?” Andy asked. His new friend laughed.  
“Both, I expect. According to the deacon of my parish at home, divinity is full of bad translations.”  
Andy raised his eyebrows. “Divinity? Does that mean you’re planning to be ordained?”  
“I hope so. By the way, my name is Francisco but you can call me Frank if that’s too much.”

Andy smiled, thinking to himself that sharing a room with a novice priest was probably better than sharing a room with one of the jocks. At least he could expect his roommate would not be bringing home girlfriends and he would know how to study quietly. Besides, Frank put him at ease. “Good to meet you Frank,” he said. My name is Andrew but you can call me Andy. I’m studying mining engineering.”

Andy reclined on his bed and pretended to read the campus guide while he covertly watched his new roommate arranging his belongings. Frank shook out his clothing and hung everything, all garments in shades of black and grey, in his tiny closet. Then Frank unpacked a few more books, notebooks, a range of pens and pencils in rainbow colours, and a rosary which he draped over the angle-poise lamp on his desk. Andy found his gaze drawn again to Frank’s shoulder length wavy hair, a rich shade of dark brown that almost looked black. The unruly locks got in Frank’s way and he often combed his fingers through his hair to push it off his face. Andy imagined sliding his own hand through that thick hair, feeling smooth strands slip between his fingers and—

“Andy?” said Frank.  
Andy blinked and looked away. His face warmed with the embarrassment of having been caught staring and thinking about touching Frank’s hair. “Sorry,” he said. “Do you know where the cafeteria is? It’s almost dinner time and I bet if we’re late there will be nothing left worth eating.”  
“I haven’t been anywhere yet,” Frank said. “I only got here an hour ago. Do you want us to go and look for it together?”  
Andy smiled and nodded.

They found the cafeteria quickly, collected trays of food and sat opposite each other at a long refectory table, completely unaware of the hubbub of other students around them. By the end of his little pot of caramel dessert, Frank knew that Andy was only doing mining engineering because his father suggested it, that Andy had wanted to take a year out to go exploring then study forestry and wildlife management, and that Andy had considered a career in the Army before a residential week with a shouty Sergeant put him off.

Andy, however, knew very little about Frank other than yes, he had been religious all his life. He resolved to be better at conversation later when they got back to their room. But what to ask someone who intended to be a priest? Andy wondered if Frank was some kind of goody-goody, or if he would be judgemental, or if he would try to convert the heathen he was sharing a room with. He hoped none of those things would turn out to be true.

He need not have worried. As soon as they got back to the room, Frank grinned, took some cash out of an envelope that he had stashed inside one of his bibles, and said, “Do you think there are any good bars in town?”

“I’ve heard of one,” Andy said, “it was recommended by a friend of mine back home. He said it was right up my alley.”  
“That’s good enough for me,” Frank said. “Let’s go.”  
Andy looked uncertainly at Frank. “Are you sure? It’s our first night here. Maybe we should go to the common room and meet the other students.”  
“Oh.” Frank‘s face fell. “We could do that if you like.”  
“I only meant...” Andy said, annoyed with himself for potentially upsetting his new best friend. “I mean, don’t you want to save your cash for later in the term when money gets really tight?”  
“Don’t worry about me,” said Frank, shaking his head a little. “My deacon gave me a little extra, and strict instructions to socialise. I would like to take my new roommate out for a drink.”  
“Well then,” Andy said, smiling back at Frank’s hopeful expression. “I suppose the common room will still be busy later. Let’s go.”

The town centre was a reasonable walk away. During the 30 minutes it took to get from campus to the bar, Andy did his best to make conversation and found it far easier than he expected. He learned that Frank’s parents still lived in Portugal, that he had brothers and sisters, and that he wanted to be a missionary so they had agreed that he could study abroad for one year before returning to the local seminary.

The bar was busy in a way that suggested it would be rammed later on. Andy looked around and spotted a table with two free seats while Frank went to the bar. Someone else beat Andy to the seating and he joined Frank at the bar with a little shrug.  
“We’ll have to stand,” Andy said. “Hope you don’t mind.”  
“That’s okay,“ Frank replied. “I got us cocktails. Two for the price of one.”  
Andy laughed at the colourful concoction in the tall glasses. “I better have just the one then. My first lecture is tomorrow morning at 9 am.”  
Frank smiled and took a sip of his matching drink. His eyebrows rose, his eyes opened wide, and he shook his head in a way that made his hair dance around his shoulders. More than ever, Andy wanted to push his fingers through it, feel its soft texture and perhaps be allowed to put it into braids in some imagined future, out of the way when Frank would undoubtedly hunch over his books to study.

One drink became two because Andy insisted he had to return the favour. But after the second sickly sweet and super strong cocktail they decided to walk home. It was all Andy could do to prevent himself from taking Frank’s hand as they ambled the 45 minute stroll back to campus, frequently bumping into each other and accidentally brushing arms and shoulders.

Safely back in their room, Frank sprawled on his bed with his hands behind his head and said, “Did you know in advance that we were going to a gay bar?”  
Andy felt like his heart stopped and his stomach set like concrete. So that was what his friend had meant when he had said The Queens Arms was right up his alley. “No,” he said. “What of it?”  
“Nothing,” Frank replied. “Just wondered.”

Andy sighed deeply and sat down on his own bed. “Look,” he said. “I’m gay. Is this something that might be a problem?”  
Frank sat up, mirroring Andy’s position, directly opposite him. “Absolutely not. God tells us that we should love one another. Men loving men and women loving women is not sinful.”  
“Really?” Andy shook his head. “That’s not what my high school chaplain said.”  
Frank laughed. “You see why your country needs missionaries? Do you want me to find the verses in Greek scripture and translate them for you?”

Andy grinned back. “I’m a little tempted to say yes,” he confessed, “but no. Look,” he said, sucking his lower lip for the moment it took to make a decision and shooting Frank a more serious look. “You’re going to think I’m weird or drunk, or weird _and_ drunk, and probably ask me to move out, but I’ll say this anyway. This is my first time away from home and I’m not used to being on my own. But since I met you today, I get the strangest feeling. It’s like... like everything is going to be okay.”

Frank shuffled forwards, elbows on his knees, leaning so that he was as close as he could get to Andy without getting up. “Is it weird?” he asked, voice barely a whisper. “I feel that too. I came here knowing nothing and nobody, and when I saw you I felt like I’d just met my oldest friend.”

Andy nodded and stood up. “We should go to the common room and meet the other students.”  
“Yes,” Frank replied, standing up too. They faced each other, standing close together on the square rug bordered by the two beds and the window. Andy smiled and stroked a stray curl back from Frank’s forehead, then realised with horror what he had just done and snatched his hand away.

“Wait! I don’t mind.” Frank caught Andy’s hand between his own, turned it over and examined it, then raised it to his lips to kiss the palm and placed it back on his hair. Andy released a slow breath and pushed his fingers through Frank’s hair in one smooth motion that started at his forehead and ended at his shoulder. Frank smiled and put his arms around Andy’s back.

It was a short step into a hug and a long time before either of them moved.

“We should,” Andy said, voice a low murmur in Frank’s ear. “Go. Common room.”  
“We should,” Frank agreed, and they stepped apart, shook their arms out and stretched. Frank caught Andy staring at him again and he smiled. “Or we could introduce ourselves tomorrow,” he said, “and have an early night.”


End file.
